Treasure Planet 2 The Spring of Life
by ultima s
Summary: When Jim gets a visit from an old friend he finds himself on another adventure in deep space with new and old faces in search of the elusive Fountain of Life! A good story from start to finish.
1. Chapter 1

In the deep recesses of space a floating debris field slowly moves around a vacant moon.

(Squelch)

"Have you found anything boys?" came the voice over the radio

Two aliens looked at each other then at the field of junk that lay before them, "Negative sir the field is vast are you sure it's even here?"

(Squelch)

"There isn't too many other places it could be!" The voice sounded angry

A third member of the crew aboard the skiff looked out into the field and let out a toothy grin as he switched off the radio. The other two whimpered as the ropes that held them fast were yanked even tighter and the business end of a blunderbuss was shoved into their faces.

"Now ya see boys that weren't so hard now was it?" the man said getting close to his captives faces. They cowered away as much as they could.

"What are you going to do to us?" one of them asked

"Well, now there's a question worth askin'! I suppose the smart ting to do would be to kill the lot of ya but then, pray that I'm not so smart." The man said with a grin, "I'll tell ya what boy's you help me get what I'm lookin' for and I'll send ya home in time to cook a warm meal."

"What are you looking for!?" One of the captive's asked in a near-shout

The man stopped and looked over his immense shoulder as the sound of clicks and whirrs filled the air and the gold light from one of his eyes rested on the one who just gulped in response. The man put his bulldog face just inches from the captive.

"Oh I believe you know exactly... what old Silver wants..."

(Squelch)

"Attention all search crews return to base... we've found it, I repeat the package has been found return to base!"

"Exactly..."

….

"Jim will you get down here?" Jim's mother Sarah yelled

"Coming..." Came the voice of a young Jim preparing to head out for his final farewell to his friends and family before he headed off to the Academy.

He walked down the stairs and stood before everyone with his white Cadet suit all ready and his boots shining.

His mother sighed as did Dr. Doppler and Amelia who were rocking their children to sleep. Everyone clapped which immediately woke the small ones who began to make a racket all their own. The tables in the Montressor Inn were packed with food and fools each making their way to Jim who felt all the more crowded by the tight uniform.

Soon the immediate histeria died down and he was able to force himself out of the crowd while the music started and everyone paired up to dance. Jim sat on the outskirts looking into the frivolity of the scene and smiling as his mother danced with a few pudgy guests.

His mind wandered a little and he thought on John Silver and all that they'd been through and deep down he felt the desire to see him here before he left for the Academy in the morning. He knew it was impossible though so he just waited for the night to go on.

The music slowly died and everyone lifted their glasses as Dr. Doppler raised a glass for a toast,

"Ahem, well I'll be happy to be the first one to say it, though I may not actually be the first person to say it, well actually I may not be..." At that moment Amelia shot a glance to her absent minded husband who stood up straight and turned to Jim, "What I mean to say is that we are proud of you Jim and if ever there is something that you need you can always count on us!"

"Here! Here!" came the shout from the crowd as they all started to drink from their glass. Jim put his cup to his lips when suddenly he saw an outline in the window as a glimmer of gold from one side of the glass caught his attention.

"Silver!" Jim said and almost choked on his drink

Dr. Doppler started patting him on the back, "Jim, Jim are you okay!? Come on Jim Speak to me!" He said frantically as Amelia came and shoved her husband to the side and hit Jim hard on the back.

Jim stopped coughing and stood straight, "Oh, thank goodness!" Delbert said in the background.

"James I thought I heard you say something before you guzzeled down that drink..." Amelia said in an inquisitive tone.

"Oh it was..." Jim looked towards the window to see nothing, "it was nothing." He said quietly as Amelia gave him a look and looked towards the window.

That night Jim's mom entered his room as he was sitting on his bed shoving clothes into his sack. She sat down quietly next to him.

"You know you can talk to me about it." She said noticing his silence after his choking incident.

"What's there to talk about?" He responded shoving another handful of laundry into his sack.

"Jim I heard you mention his name." Sarah said touching him on the shoulder

Jim stopped and stared at the ground, "I thought I saw him... I thought... maybe he was coming to see me off or something. It's stupid I know but..."

"No, no, it's not stupid," She said hugging her son, "He was as good as a father to you it's not stupid at all to want to have him near."

"No," Jim said slightly pushing his mother away, "It's stupid to believe that he actually would."

"Oh, James." She said and stepped out the door and lingered there wanting to tell her son so much as he continued to fill his sack. In the end she just wandered down the stairs offing the lights as she went.

Jim sat there for a while looking out the window as Morph chirped and cooed in the night and the sound of B.E.N. Clanging in the kitchen was the only thing to break the silence. He walked over to the window staring at the dim light of the spaceport.

"WHAT'S HAPPENIN'?" Suddenly Jim was on the floor as the head of John Silver sat there staring in his window. As Jim got up he saw that Silver was on a skiff looking into his room.

"Silver!?" Jim said not believing his eyes

"Well who'd ya tink it was Jimbo? I couldn't help but come on your big day now could I?" Silver said lumbering over the window sill and stepping down into the room.

Morph immediately floated up to him and rubbed himself along Silver's chin, "Silver, Silver, Silver," He repeated in increasing pitch

"Morphy I was wonderin' how's ya were gettin' along." Silver said tickling what could only be described as Morph's chin, "Look at you you've been growin bigger!"

"Bigger, bigger, bigger!" Morph repeated in a near-shout

"SHHH!" Jim said and listened but it seemed like Ben had dropped something in the kitchen and was making quite the racket.

"Silver you can't be here!" Jim said as his heart secretly jumped with joy

"And why not if it weren't for my quick tinkin' boy this'd still be a small business. Is this the tanks I get?" Silver said smiling and opening his arms wide.

Jim bit his lip and glowered at Silver for a second before giving him a hug. Silver then held him out and looked over the outfit.

"I see ya'r all primmed and propped to become a spacer right and proper. I'm proud of you Jim I am!" Silver said and it meant more to Jim than the entire world at that moment.

"Well I best be off, this old hardware is a magnet for attention ya know." Silver said turning towards the window. As he did a small blackened object fell to the ground and right to Jim's feet.

Jim bent down and lifted it up as Silver stopped in his tracks.

"What is this?" Jim asked as he picked it up and rubbed the soot off of the orb. A familiar golden gleam shone off the surface that was laced with lines and circles. A flood of memories hit Jim all at once of Treasure Planet and his adventures there, "Why do you have flint's key? And where did you get it?"

Silver put his head up and smiled before turning around, "What? This old ting? I've had it fer a while never you mind." He said opening his hand to receive the orb

Jim held it and looked angrily towards Silver, he knew Silver was lying. Silver slowly put his hand behind his neck and yawned a little.

"Fine if you must know I went lookin for this ting shortly after we returned from Flints accursed planet and after... acquirin some help I found it. That's all it'tis I assure you Jim."

"Why would you want it?" Jim said turning it over in his hands

Silver grabbed it quickly and put it in his deep pockets, "Nottin' much just a treasure that'd put Flint's trove to shame..." He said nearly under his breath

"Wait! Put the 'loot of a tousand worlds' to shame. I don't believe you." Jim said turning away

"Have you ever heard of the Grove of Life?" Silver said stopping Jim in his tracks

"The planet where all life began?" Jim inquired

"That's the one. Flint was lookin for it to the day he died. It's said there's a spring there that can give a man eternal life."

"The fountain of life." Jim said slowly turning around

"Exactly! Near his deat Flint was said to have found a clue to where it was hidden and..."

"I KNEW IT!" Jim shouted, "You didn't come here to see me you wanted me to open this thing and see if the clue was there!"

"Well I..." Silver started

"No! You're just like my Dad alright you care nothing for me you just want to get what you can and get out." Jim stated and Silver grabbed him and shook him

"JIM!" He said angrily, "Now hear me I have traveled across the galaxy for the soul purpose of showing you this ball, Look at Me! I wouldn't have done dat to get you to open it and leave..." Silver said backing off a ways and pulled out the orb,

"What'd'ya say Jimbo? Would ya like to go on another adventure?"

Thanks for reading everyone I know it's been a while since last I wrote and I appologize I am in a different state now and am working long hours every day so the time I have to write is limited but I felt that my writing ability was getting lost so I decided to start up another story. I hope you all like it as it goes on and remember feedback is vital to me so don't shy away from telling me what you think. Next, Meet the Crew First Mate Hawkins!


	2. Chapter 2

Jim awoke to a hard thud as he rolled off his bed to the ground. He looked around groggily and his eyes slowly came into focus.

"Ouch!" He said touching a hard lump on the back of his head. Suddenly he remembered that he had denied the offer to go on that adventure with Silver and as he turned around his world went black.

Silver had knocked him out and he looked around a wooded cabin that was a lot cozier than the bedroom he was just taken from. The bed was plush with a thick quilt and there was a dresser that rested under a round window. He stood in front of the mirror and inspected the back of his head. Thankfully there was no visible damage but he could still feel the throbbing of the blow.

(knocking at the door)  
"Sir are you awake?" Jim heard a voice call from the other side of the door.

Jim looked around and upon seeing no one else in the room he responded, "Who me?"

"Ah so you are awake! Your presence is requested on the bridge by the captain." The voice said and then Jim heard some footsteps trailing off.

"Great!" Jim thought to himself as he suspected he'd been kidnapped by Silver and no doubt he wouldn't be able to get out of it. "Mom's not gonna like this." He sighed under his breath and opened the cabin door.

"FIRST MATE ON DECK!" Came the shout and Jim's eyes adjusted to the light to see a massive ship in which all the spacers on board had stopped in the middle of what they were doing and stood at attention. He walked out and looked around to see what they were saluting at but to his surprise they were all looking at him.

"Ahem." A voice from behind him came and he turned to see a blue-green alien with a white chest and four arms all of which were in a spacer salute.

It took Jim a second, "Oh.. uh... At ease." He finally blurted out.

"AT EASE!" Came the call and soon the deck was in motion. Spacers climbing the nets preparing the sails. Others swabbing the deck and sanding the mast and still others that ran around in seemingly useless yet methodical way.

"Sir this way." Came the voice of the blue-green alien as he gestured towards the back of the ship and started walking briskly.

"Whoa!... hold on... slow down!" Jim called as he was nearly bowled over by several different spacers in the middle of mopping.

The blue-green alien slowed but didn't stop, "What is it?" He asked seemingly annoyed at the request to move slower.

"I can't be the first mate!" Jim said ducking under one of the beams, "I have no training, no experience and furthermore I'm not even supposed to be here, okay! I was kidnapped and..." Jim was cut off

"Aha mmhh yes, Thankfully none of that matters here Silver has named you his first-mate and as such you will be expected to fill the responsibilities of that role. My name is Haversham and if I can be of any assistance to sir then all you need do is ask." The alien interrupted

"Haversham!" Jim said with a chuckle which the alien didn't find amusing

Jim looked around and this boat was definitely different than the one he'd taken to Treasure Planet. Captain Amelia's vessel was an exploration style star ship whereas this one was definitely a full-rigged ship with hundreds of hands. Jim was wondering how Silver had managed to get a hold of such a vessel when he found himself on the ground tripping around with a girl that had been trying to mop.

The wet floors and soap didn't help much but soon both were on their feet and Jim stepped back to see who his unexpected assailant was. Before him stood a young human girl with blond hair in a ponytail that circled around her shoulder. She had a pink barret that separated her bangs from the rest of her hair. She wore a worn and faded pink sweater that was dropped off the one shoulder revealing a strap to a tank top underneath. Her eyes were deep blue and she seemed just slightly smaller than Jim though probably around the same age.

"Why don't you watch where you're going!?" She yelled at him angrily

"Enough Alia this is our First mate!" Haversham yelled and the girl turned on him

"I don't care if he was the freakin' Captain if you wan..." She started

"Oh now that's too bad Alia and here I was startin to like ye." Came Silvers voice behind her

She put her finger down into a fist and turned and smiled to Silver, "I was merely saying that if he wants me to finish scrubbing the deck he would do better to stay out of the way."

"Well now that sounds reasonable. Come on Jim let's be off then we have a lot to discuss." Silver said and put his arm around Jim and walked him away. As he left Jim looked back over silvers massive arm and saw Haversham pointing to a spot on the deck where Alia reached into the bucket and pulled out a brush and started scrubbing.

"Well Jimbo what do ya think so far?" Silver asked gesturing to the ship

"I think it might be better if I wasn't kidnapped." He quipped

"Necessary details all of it necessary." Silver smiled and Jim couldn't help but smile as well.

Suddenly a tall man with a large hat and flowing coat that reached down to his shoes stepped in front of the two.

"Ah! Mr. Pokros." Silver said happily as the man turned.

Something wasn't right about this man Jim could feel it. As he turned Jim noticed he was a bit taller than Silver his face was covered with a kerchief, in fact everything was covered in some way or another except for his eyes which sent a chill up Jims spine. One eye was completely mechanical like Silvers and the other eye was elongated and gold piercing to the depths.

"So Mr. Pokros how soon till we're at full charge?" Silver demanded

Mr. Pokros' voice was deep and commanding yet Jim couldn't shake the sinister undertone he heard, "Full charge will be reached in thirty minutes Sir." He said to Silver and then glanced towards Jim for a second but it was enough to make Jim feel as cold as ice.

"Excellent! We'll have a heading for you before the night's over." Silver said and once again lead Jim towards the bridge. Just under the wheel Silver lead Jim into the Captains cabin and opened the door. He was immediately accosted by Morph who hovered around his head and rubbed against the side of his face.

From the table at the center Ben turned around, "JIMMY!" He yelled and ran up and hugged his friend

"Ben!? What are you doing here?" Jim asked gasping for breath

"Well when your buddy here told me you were volunteering for another adventure out in deep space I was like, 'Well if Jimmy's going then I'm going!' and they let me join. Isn't it wonderful Jim it'll be like old times just us wandering the galaxy looking for treasure." Ben said as Jim pried him off and looked inquisitively at Silver.

"What? He was Flint's personal navigator surely he must be able to do sometin' to help." Silver shrugged, "Now what say we try to find Flint's clue?" Silver said placing the orb on the table

Jim went over to it as Ben tried to see over his shoulder Jim mulled it around in his hands and then put it down.

"I can't!" Jim said

"Wha... Why not!?" Silver asked in a huff, "Everytin' is here boy, you say it an we'll get it!"

"It's not that..." Jim said looking out the window, "We're missing someone."

Thanks for reading everyone. My chapters will be shorter or longer depending on how much I want you to know at the time basically building up the story. All will be revealed soon enough so don't worry it's part of the fun of the story. Anyways I have always wanted to work for Disney so this is a chance to see if my story will hold up to that standard, as such constructive criticism is vital so don't worry about hurting my feelings let me know what I can do to improve. Next, Wanted!


	3. Chapter 3

Captain Amelia finished tucking her son in as Delbert kissed his daughters on the foreheads. The soft sound of each breath signifying they were fast asleep. They both exited and closed the door as Amelia rubbed her arm.

"It's terrible to think that Jim was taken the very night he was to head to the Academy." Amelia said as they walked down the dim hall.

"Jim is very resourceful I highly doubt that anyone would try to hurt him, well not saying that anyone was trying to hurt him, well of course unless..." Amelia stopped her husbands rambling with a gentle touch on the hand.

Earlier that morning Sarah Hawkins had stopped at Delbert's lab in a frantic rush crying uncontrolably. She had seen Jim's room in a mess and the window open so she knew that he'd been taken but had no idea who would have possibly wanted him. Amelia had tried to comfort her but knew that nothing could console the heart of a worried mother.

"I'm sure that any minute now Jim will come rushing through that door and..." Delbert was stopped by the door which slammed hard onto the ground and three hulking aliens came in through the smoke.

"Which one of you's is Dr. Doppler?" The foremost of the aliens asked

Delbert got in front of his wife and slowly they backed away, "Gentlemen, please... come in, well seeing that you're already in I guess that pleasantry is wasted, not saying that it is truly wasted..."

The foremost of the aliens reached forward and grabbed Delbert's arm and hoisted him onto his shoulder as though he were a throw pillow.

"DELBERT!" Amelia called out as they rushed out the door

"Not to worry my dear I'm sure they just want to talk." He naively called back to her

Amelia rushed to the phone, "Get me the police!..."

Meanwhile Delbert was loaded onto a skiff which raised upwards and flew out of sight of his lab. He looked around as the three aliens watched him closely and chuckled nervously. Up through the clouds they rose and as they met the sun Delbert saw before him one of the largest space vessels he'd ever seen. It was the Donovan, a fully rigged super ship built for long voyages into deep space. Four masts held what seemed like an hundred solar sails and it must have had at least five deck levels.

They flew up right to the side of it and stopped off as some of the spacers from the ship threw lines down to the skiff and pulled them in.

He was grabbed by the spacers and pulled by both arms to the front of the ship the captains cabin doors were opened wide and he was thrown inside. As he lifted his head off the ground he came face to face with Silver's golden mechanical eye.

"Nice to see ya doc!" Silver stated with a smile and Delbert clambered backwards

Jim came and pushed Silver back, "Come on..., Are you okay?" he asked Delbert.

"Jim!" Dr. Doppler stated and got up and gave Jim a hug, "Jim we've all been worried sick about you!" He said letting Jim go to see if any harm was done

"Hiya doc!" Came the voice of Ben from the side

"What!? And they've kidnapped you too! These Barbarians!" Delbert said

"Well actually we wanted to go with them I mean after all wherever Jimmy goes I go isn't that right Jimmy?" Ben said looking to Jim who didn't respond but looked at Delbert and started to try and explain the situation.

"Doc we need your help." Jim said and showed him the Orb.

"Is that...?" Delbert said looking closely at the Orb.

"We think there might be a clue in here to find the Fountain of Life." Jim explained

"THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE!" Delbert yelled, "Jim have you lost your mind, Hundreds of ships, thousands of spacers have disappeared in the quest for that place. You have your future to think about what about Sarah and the Academy?" Delbert asked

"What have Jim 'ere squanderin his days learnin' to be a spacer or to be one here on the ol' Donovan." Silver said pretending to be occupied with his hands, "No better learnin' to be had than what you learn on the job now ain't that the truth doc?"

Delbert cowered a little before turning back to Jim, "And what about Sarah? What will happen to your mother?" Jim looked to the side

"That don't matter!" Silver said turning around, "Jim is stayin' with us and if you don't start helpin' I'll be sure your stay is... cut short!"

Jim cast a glance at Silver that caused him to shrug and continue to be occupied with his hands.

Jim looked at the doctor, "I'm sorry." Jim said, "this is where I need to be right now doc."

Delbert looked flabbergasted as Jim took the orb over to the holo-screen. He pushed a few buttons and turned the orb this way and that and soon a small circle opened on the bottom he took a cord from the side of the circular holo-screen and plugged it in to the base.

The center sparked to life as the figure of a tall man with a white mustache that locked onto his sideburns appeared. He had a blue spacing coat with white pants and knee-high black polished boots.

"Why that's...!" Delbert started, "That's Captain Amadeus of the ship Candice! He was one of the foremost space explorers in Flint's time. He's one of the ones who disappeared in his search for the Fountain." Delbert explained not taking his eyes off the projection.

"I am afraid I don't have much time. My pursuit of knowledge has led me down a path I cannot possibly return from. I having wanted to reap the secrets sown in the Fountain of Life am now falling victim to its many dangers. To those who wish to pursue this endeavor I warn you.. Turn back! Turn back before you suffer such a fate as I. I leave this will to those who seek the Fountain in hopes that one day someone may find it and forever stop their quest. I..." and at that moment it cut out abruptly

"Did you see that doc?" Jim asked with a smile

"See what?" Delbert responded continuing to stare at the blackened projection

Jim rewound the projection and paused it, "Look at the background."

Delbert looked and saw hundreds of tiny lights and a redish black stain that made it's way across the background. "Why that's...!" Delbert started to say when the vessel shook.

"What now!" Silver yelled angrily and rushed out on deck to see three Police Cruisers had latched on to the sides of the ship.

"Halt and Prepare to be boarded!" one of the cruisers called down

The crew prepared to attack as they headed for their weapon stores but Silver whistled and told them to stand down. He ran into the cabin and grabbed Jim and Delbert and threw them into the broom closet and then moved his stool to the front.

On the outside Three policemen were on deck, two officers and another who stood in front with his hands behind his back. The man was tall and painfully thin with a white face that had whiskers and a long chin that nearly reached his chest. He were a blue frock coat and white pants with black polished shoes and paid very little attention to the scowls he got from the surrounding crew.

He walked up to Silver who bowed courteously, "Chief Commissioner Hanz I never taught in all me days I'd have the pleasure of welcomin' you my vessel."

"Captain Uris I assume?" Commissioner Hanz said in a low and demeaning voice

"Aye that be me!" Silver said

"Are you aware that since your vessel has been here there have been a number of disappearances?" He said looking wryly at the crew

"And it's fer that exact reason that we be shippin' off this very day sir!" Silver said with a smile as the Commissioner walked past

"So you are saying that you had nothing to do with these... Disappearances?"

"Why the very thought! Banish it from your mind ol' Uris ain't never done wrong by nobody!" Silver said and the commissioner turned to him and walked right up to his face.

"That is another matter entirely Mr. Uris I intend to run a full sweep of this ship from stem to stern and let me warn you if I find a trace of our missing persons I will not hesitate to sink this ship faster than you or your crew could even think about life boats!"

At that moment Alia Ran up from the stairs that led to the kitchen with a large rod in her hand and was about to strike the back of the Commissioner when one of the other officers came in and kicked her to the ground.

"I suggest you keep your crew in order Captain," commissioner Hanz stated without turning around, "It would be a shame to think you'd be hiding something from me. He then turned only to get knocked to the ground with a single punch to the face. He looked up to see a young man in a white academy uniform, "You're..." He began to say but was quickly knocked cold by Silver while the other two police officers were surrounded and bound by the rest of the crew.

"JIM!" Delbert said having followed him from the closet, "Do you realize what you've done? You can't return from something like that!"

"DOC!" Jim yelled, "I know." He said softly looking at the tied up men in uniform. "I told you this is where I need to be right now."

Delbert looked somewhat ashamed at Jim and then shook his head, "Jim I cannot condone your choice... but it is yours to make." He gave Jim a hug

"Please help my mother!" Jim said quietly

"The outer ring." Delbert whispered

"What?"

"That's where the transmission was sent from, the outer ring near the planet Thados. Take care Jim I can't come with you nor can I stop the police from pursuing you. Are you sure this is what you want?" Delbert asked as a skiff approached

Jim nodded.

"Hold on a sec Doc you ain't..." Silver was interrupted by Jims arm.

"Where we need to go He can't help us any more I suggest we let him go to delay the police enough time to get out of here."

Silver was about to argue but then decided against it as the police and Delbert were loaded into the skiff and the auto-pilot was set to return to Delbert's lab.

Delbert watched slowly as Jim waved his final farewell to his friend.

"Set a course for Thados!" Jim said as the skiff disappeared from below the clouds. The crew cut the lines that tethered the cruisers to the ship and set sail through the stars.

(Later at Sarah's inn)

"But sir surely you can't just..." Delbert started to yell

"As far as I'm concerned your son," Commissioner Hanz said turning to Sarah, "Is in collaboration with pirates and as such if he fires on us we will take him down without any second thought! Is that understood!"

Sarah just put her head in her hands and began to cry as Delbert put his arm around her in consolation.

"Your son will rue the day he ever decided to sail with Captain Silver!"

Thanks for reading everyone I hope it was an enjoyable chapter. I hope someday to work for Disney after seeing their new movie Frozen it has become an anchor for most of the choices that I am making right now. Anyways I have work to do so I will continue to write tomorrow after I fix a few things. Next, On the way to Thados!


	4. Chapter 4

"Attention to all units," Commissioner Hanz barked into the radio, "I want everyone from this quadrant to be on the lookout for a fully rigged, deep space vessel bearing the name the Donovan. Should you see it you are to detain it then inform me of it immediately!"

Sarah had stopped crying and was looking straight at the floor while Delbert was standing at the window.

"How do you expect to locate them? Everybody knows that Montressor has one of the smallest police forces in the sector when they get there they'll probably be out of your jurisdiction anyways." Delbert said once again sitting next to Sarah.

"Get... there!?" Commissioner Hanz repeated softly and turned to look at Delbert who immediately recognized his mistake.

"Well by there I mean their destination, well I mean surely they aren't going to stay here, so if it's not here its..."

"Doctor did you know that anyone charged with conspiracy or treason can have his entire family charged as well? It would certainly be a shame if your family were to be separated because you decided to aid a fugitive from the law."

"But I..." Delbert started but was interrupted by Sarah

"Delbert please! I can't allow you to get into this too." Sarah turned to the Commissioner, "If he tells you where they're headed will you promise to bring my son back?"

"As long as he cooperates he will be returned to Montressor." The Commissioner promised then turned to Delbert who fiddled around for a moment.

"Thados." Delbert said softly regretting that the commissioner had ever gotten involved

"Now was that so difficult doctor?" the Commissioner smiled a dry and toothy grin then turned to the radio, "Bring about the vessel we're going to Thados!" He turned to the two still sitting in the dining area, "I hope you two have a pleasant day." He said and turned exiting the door which closed quietly behind him.

"Why? Why? Why would Jim ever decide to go with Silver, I mean it just doesn't make any sense." Delbert said frantically

"What did Jim say they were after?" Sarah said slowly turning her head to face Delbert

"The Fountain of Life. But I don't see why Jim would ever take on such a foolhardy voyage with a man that had just kidnapped him."

Sarah turned to face a small table that had a picture of her and her son resting peacefully, "I do."

It had taken a couple days for them to get out of familiar space and Jim could feel the freedom of deep space once again. They'd taken care to avoid all of the main routes of travel that would be watched by the police, it was no small feet especially for a ship this size but Silver commanded his crew as though he were born to do it and soon they were far enough out that they could unfurl the sails and recharge the reserve power.

Jim was awake early looking as the stars drifted by feeling the cool night on his skin it pulled back memories of his voyage to Treasure Planet and how he had been the cabin boy then and now he was first mate. Morph and Ben spent most of their time with Silver, Ben because he was the last tie to Flint and Morph because he missed Silver. It gave Jim silence and a chance to think.

Behind him he heard a clatter of wood and turned to see Alia had fallen over and was struggling to pick herself up. She started to get up and then clutched her side and fell again as Jim rushed over almost slipping in the mop water to give her a hand.

"Go away! I don't need your help!" She said angrily as Jim grabbed her arm.

"You're hurt you need attention." Jim said. As he lifted her up part of her sweater lifted revealing a boot shaped bruise across her midsection. "Come on I'm taking you to the medical section."

"I said I don't need your help!" She yelled throwing the bucket which hit of one of the masts and she stormed off down to the kitchen

"Don't you worry about her," Silver stated coming in from the side with a smile, "She's a viper that one not missin much of the spunk you had when you were cabin boy."

"She's hurt." Jim said looking at Silver

"She'll be fine she's a tough one. In the meantime it's about high time you started to learn somethin about bein a first mate." Silver said leading Jim away. Jim looked back towards the black entrance to the kitchen hoping that Silver was right.

Over the next few weeks Silver had Jim working from before the sun rose to after the sun set on learning what it meant to be a first mate. Every once in a while he would catch a glimpse of Alia but as soon as she saw him she would go and work on another part of the ship.

The training was more mentally difficult then physically especially when it came to giving orders. Jim had only been a cabin boy before where everyone was above him and now the only person in a higher rank was Silver. Jim enjoyed being around Silver and when they weren't training Silver would tell stories from his days of being a spacer and would attract quite the crowd, even Alia couldn't resist to slow her pace of work to hear what he had to say only to pick it up at double pace when she saw Jim.

One night Jim had just gone off duty and was staring out at a nearby comet thinking when he heard Haversham barking orders. He turned to see the blue-green alien yelling at Alia that she would have to mop the whole deck again. Jim came over and noticed that Alia was fighting to not attract his gaze.

"Sir!" Haversham said standing at attention

"Stand down Haversham, I'll take it from here." Jim commanded

"Sir!" Haversham responded and walked below deck

Silver and Morph came up onto the bridge and looked out below them to see the two lonely figures in the twilight. Morph chirped and Silver smiled before taking control of the wheel.

"How many times do I need to tell you I don't need your help!" Alia said mopping back and forth in an angry fit

"You've made that very clear so this time I'm not going to help you, what I am going to do is to stand here and make sure that you scrub every inch of this deck before you go to sleep tonight."

"Don't do me any favors." She said under her breath

"You won't need to worry about that. Tell me is this how you treat everyone who tries to help?" Jim said slightly annoyed

"Nope! Just you." She said sarcastically

"What did I ever do?" Jim asked angrily but Alia remained silent. Jim put his arms behind his back and looked upwards at the sky, "You know you'd cover a lot more area if you went in a figure eight." Jim said not turning to see the look that Alia gave him

"And what do you know about work? A kid like you has had his whole life handed to him." Alia said with contempt

"What!?" Jim stated in disbelief

"You heard me. Your uniform is from the Galactic Academy and Silver just chose you out of the blue to be his first mate. That school isn't cheap."

"What this?" Jim said Gesturing to his white uniform, "I'll have you know I earned this doing the exact same thing that you're doing right now!" Alia didn't respond but Jim could tell she was listening, "When I first met Silver he was a cook and I was his cabin boy. We served under one of the meanest, toughest captains in the fleet by the name of Amelia. We went to find Treasure Planet..."

"You were on the voyage to Treasure Planet?" Alia said casting her gaze to Jim

Jim nodded, "Silver caused some trouble and I helped him get out of it," Jim said and turned towards the blanket of space leaning against the rail of the ship, "In the end he was more of a father to me than my real dad ever was."

"Is that why you decided to help in this voyage? Because of Silver?" Alia asked confused

Jim looked away and started to head towards his cabin, "Why don't you... take the rest of the night off. First-Mates orders." He said and walked away as Alia stood there with a mop looking at the ship's cat that had just hopped on the rail.

Thanks for reading I know this chapter is a bit shorter but I don't want to reveal too much at this stage. From the reviews it looks like people are exactly where I want them to be. The reason for Jim to give up everything and go with Silver will be explained later. How much later I don't know but I know that you will about crap your pants with how amazingly it is going to tie together. I have also been forgetting to thank my Story followers and favoriters(?!) so a special thanks to LilweenGalatrass, Music Anime31, and snareplayingpiccolo for faving and following the story Ultima S. Next, Thados' Graveyard.


	5. Chapter 5

"Pull 'er around boys!" Silver yelled as the gravitational pull of Thados shook the ship

All hands were on deck as Alia grasped the end of a rigging line and Jim was yelling out orders to the crew keeping the ship together. Part of his training consisted of the entry to planet-ways that had higher than average gravity. Thados was a prime example of this

Thados was a large gas giant in the galaxy with red and blue swirling masses that belied an ultra-dense core. It was considered the vacuum of the system as it's orbit intercepted most of the debris that came floating in from deep space but it was also known as the "Blood Planet." Due to it's high gravitational pull unwary spacers have been pulled to their deaths earning Thados the reputation as the Ship Graveyard.

Through centuries of spacing there was a large ring of debris that circled in a high-speed orbit around the equator of the planet. This debris was composed of meteors and bits of space vessels that had not been lucky enough to handle their ship correctly. All of this debris came to be about a mile thick and had a grinding motion that pulverized most of it to a fine dust that would rip apart any ship within a matter of a few seconds.

The sails were away and the ship stabilized just a short ways above that ring of debris. The crew cheered their success then went to preparations for the search. Alia looked up at Jim who was busy talking with Silver about the entry to orbit when she was called by the cook.

The ships cook was a fat gray alien with no particular talent for cooking. He looked like what might happen if you mixed a slug with an elephant and had folds of skin that covered most of his tiny eyes.

"ALIA!" He yelled in a hoarse voice, "GET DOWN HERE!" She approached the entrance to the kitchen where she received a slap up the side of her head, "What do ya think your doin' lookin at the first mate like that?"

Alia gave him a mean glance but then turned to the ground, "He was being nice to me that's all I was..."

The alien started to laugh which made his stomach roll and made it look like he was going to topple over under the weight of his own girth. "You think he LIKES you!? HA! HA! Alia please you are plain and ugly there is no way that anyone likes you now get your head back to your work!"

Alia gave the alien another look, "I never said he liked me!" She said full of hate, "All I said was he was nice to me I wanted a chance to thank him for it."

"He's the first mate you are a cabin boy,"

"Girl."

"Whatever, there is no way you should even be on the same deck as he is unless your mopping it now get down there and do the potatoes."

"Yes... Father." Alia said and went below

Jim looked at the deck but couldn't see Alia anywhere. Silver looked at Jim and knew what he was looking for.

"You can go look fer her if'n ya want." Silver said pretending to get a crick out of his back.

Jim blushed a little, "Look for who? I don't know what you mean."

"Oh come on now Jim don' tink ol' Silver ta be a fool I know when a heart is set on someone. Alia's a nice girl, I picked up her an her father over near Atta Prime."

"Her father?"

"Well not really more like her guardian but I never cared too much to inquire further. Go on Jim love is a once in a lifetime chance for a spacer." Silver said with a smile

"I don't know if I'd call it love..."

"Giv'er time."

Suddenly the ship shook violently knocking Jim on his back and from behind he could see a huge space vessel known as a Brig surrounded by about fifty smaller cruisers with writing on the side that said, "Galactic Peace Keepers."

"It's the Police!" Jim yelled and Silver ran for the wheel as another plasma ball shot next to the ship and hit into the debris field below.

"I knew we should'a finished em when we had the chance!" Silver said as he tore the wheel to one side, "UNFURL THE SAILS!" He yelled and the deck became alive with the scurry of deck hands grabbing the riggings and pulling open the sails.

Suddenly a plasma shot hit the central mast causing it to start to fall. As it fell Alia had come out to the top deck and looked around as her eyes glanced upwards she saw the main mast falling right on top of her.

She closed her eyes and flinched waiting for the inevitable crash but nothing happened. She opened her eyes to see the mast slowly floating just inches above her head then slowly sink downwards towards the planet.

"WE'RE CAUGHT IN THE PULL!" Silver yelled, this was not good and everyone knew it as a flurry of smaller plasma bolts fired from the cruisers rained down from above. Without the central mast there was no way they were going to have enough power to get away let alone escape the pull of the planet.

"Sir should we send the ultimatum?" One of the officers asked Commissioner Hanz who was looking out from the control room at the center of the Brig.

"No! Continue to fire that ship must be taken down at any cost!" the commissioner replied

"But sir didn't you promise..." One of the officers started to say

The Commissioner turned slowly, "Do I hear the start of a mutiny?"

The officer cleared his throat, "Hem... no, no sir." He said and turned back to his station

"Good then let me be concerned about the promises I have and have not made while you concern yourself with following orders, is that clear?"

"Yes sir!" The officer said and turned back to his command.

"It's too bad," The Commissioner turned back to the large viewing port where he could see the battle going on, "James Hawkins fired the first shot." he said with a wry smile putting his hand up to a small bruise on the side of his pale face.

"C'mon Jim we need a plan here!" Silver yelled as Morph flew into his pocket

"Why don't we use the planet's gravity to slingshot us out?" Jim called back as the deck lit up with explosions

"They'd be meetin us on the other side! We need someway to get out of range!" Silver said fighting a useless battle against the pull of the planet. Jim ran to the back of the deck and looked down into the swirling debris field that was moving rapidly below them. His eyes scanned quickly and desperately among the debris until he saw exactly what he was looking for.

"Silver! On my command drop anchor!" Jim yelled

"DROP ANCHOR!? Have you gone mad!" Silver yelled over the tumult

"Just do it!" Jim yelled

Silver hesitated then yelled to the deck, "Alright boys you heard him Man the anchor!"

After a few confused stares four of the largest aliens ran over and grabbed the Anchor release mechanism.

"Hold it... hold it... hold it... NOW!" Jim yelled as the deck lit up with another flurry of explosions, the aliens pulled back on the lever.

The large hook-like anchor fell straight down with jets propelling the huge piece of metal rapidly downwards. It sunk deep into a passing Meteor that was at least three times the size of the Donovan. After a couple seconds the Ship lurched forward and the Brig and cruisers fell behind.

"What's going on!?" The Commissioner yelled seeing the ship start to round the side of the planet.

"It appears they've deployed anchor on a meteor sir!" One of the officer's responded, "They have no place to go, without a central mast it should only be a few minutes before they round the other side and land directly in our path."

"Very well we shall wait here." Commissioner Hanz ordered and all of the cruisers and the Brig fell back and held their position. "Well Mr. Hawkins it looks like you've bought yourself enough time to do your last rights, but the next time we see each other it will be your last!"

Thanks for reading folks I'm sorry that it has been a while since last I added a chapter I have been working non-stop with little time to do anything let alone write. When I start for Disney, (As I hope to do someday) I won't have to work 18 hours a day but for now it's the only way to survive so my chapter writing will be sporadic at best for now. Let me know how you liked the chapter it only takes a minute and I really don't care what language it's in, (I can understand 3 languages and for the rest I can just use Google translate.) Anyways thanks all for reading, Ultima S. Next, The Candice, Another Clue!


	6. Chapter 6

As the cruisers disappeared behind them the crew let out a shallow sigh of relief as they were being hurdled around this giant planet fast enough to make it difficult to stand.

"Don' breath easy yet boys they'll be waitin for us on the other side!" Silver called out.

This was the wrong thing to say as the crew started to panic and run for the life boats only to find that most of them were destroyed in the fray.

"Jim we need a plan this course will put us in their way in just a few minutes!" Silver stated in a hoarse whisper.

Jim couldn't think of anything as the blue and red swirls of the nearby planet distracted his gaze.

"Wow you guys sure know how to throw a party!" Ben called out clanking his way up to the bridge, "You know this reminds me of the time Flint threw a huge party with some of his pirate buddies around Thados, have you ever been there? Great planet spectacular view..."

"Will you shut yer yap!" Silver yelled at Ben who cowered a little

"No, Wait!" Jim said and turned to Ben, "Tell me all about that 'party'!"

Ben straightened up and brushed himself off, "Well Flint had told some of his buddies that he was searching for the Lost Fountain of Life and he must've liked them a lot because he invited them to come along. We were at the edge of Thados, lovely planet by the way, have you been there?"

"Come on Ben What happened?" Jim said curtly

"Oh yeah, well his buddies started throwing a big light show and soon Flint was trying to get out of their way so he could join in the fun he actually traveled inside the ring of Thados! Can you imagine that inside the ring," Ben chuckled, "of course you'd need to see Thados to know what I'm talking about, it's a lovely planet, ever been there?" Ben asked and Jim ran towards the anchor, "Oh look it's Thados..."

"We need to pull ourselves down closer to the ring!" He yelled at the four large aliens that had control of the anchor winch. They nodded and put their backs into turning the wheel. Slowly, but steadily, they descended to the Metor.

Jim ran to the wheel and took control, he looked around and saw exactly what he was searching for a large hole trailing a giant meteor just a couple hundred feet under the topmost layer of debris. He fought hard against the gravitational pull of the planet as he pulled the ship down in line with that hole.

"Jim...!? Jim... what are you... JIM!" Silver yelled as the bottom of the ship began to be pelted with the high velocity dust the covered the rings of Thados. Silver held his cap as the ship shook violently against the pelting of the meteors as chunks of the vessel came flying off and marred by the dust. One large meteor scraped across the surface of the vessel flinging a couple spacers out into the depths of space.

Alia held on for her life as the high velocity sand marred her knuckles causing them to bleed.

"We're going to get killed!" Silver yelled against the storm but Jim held a straight course. One of the meteors cam and knocked Ben's leg off to the side of the ship where he went after it only to fall on his face as the storm suddenly stopped and the crew found themselves in the trail of that giant meteor.

"We need to hurry that Anchor won't last long through the ring." Jim told Silver who looked and saw the metal literally start to glow red hot against the pounding of the dust.

"Launch the harpoons!" Silver commanded and from the front of the ship two large poles with metal stakes on the end embedded deeply within the rocky surface just as the main links of the anchor broke off.

The center of the ring was like the eye of a hurricane all around them the crew could see the scattered debris of other ships that had sank in this unearthly graveyard.

"How long till they find us?" Jim asked

"This cover will buy us some time but not a lot I'd say maybe twenty minutes maybe less." Silver said caressing Morph who was cowering in his pocket, "But even if they do find us it'd take a lot more than a couple cruisers to break through this ring."

Jim looked around to see any possible escape from this predicament, "Ben how did Flint get out of the ring?"

Ben who had just reached his leg and was busy welding it back on looked to Jim and accidentally put his welding torch up to his head, "Now let me think," He started as his head grew red hot, "Oh yeah! He reopened the portal to Treasure Planet, His ship was mostly destroyed though and after that he removed my memory circuit... or did he remove my memory circuit then return to Treasure Planet?" Ben said quietly folding his one welding arm over the other causing his arm to heat up.

"Well that's out of the question!" Silver said annoyed turning again to Jim who looked around the barrier seeing nothing but a vortex of destruction on every side when something caught his eye.

"Look!" Jim pointed to the object and Silver came and grabbed his spyglass.

"Well I'll be... I don't believe it!" He said handing the spyglass over to Jim

Jim looked through the glass to see another ship anchored to the same meteor. It was old and very torn up but still together and it's lines still held fast to the meteor. On the side Jim could still read the name of the ship.

He put the eyeglass down, "It's the Candice!"

"Prepare a boarding crew we need to get there now!" Silver said

On the boarding crew Jim added the four larger aliens that had controlled the anchor, Ben, Mr. Pokros (to see the workability of the ship), himself and Silver and Haversham. Leaving one of the larger deck hands in charge of the Donovan.

They boarded one of the skiffs that had not been damaged by the fray or the meteors and descended slowly towards the Candice.

The solar sails were shredded but Pokros mentioned that they might still be salvageable, Jim wished they didn't need Pokros but he was the only one on board with any familiarity with the solar riggings. The ship was a faded grey lending to an eerie feeling.

"If dis weren't no ghost ship you'd never see one!" Silver said as the shadow of the comet against the sun plunged them into a grey atmosphere.

Every step creaked and dust spat out from under the boards as a hollow wind blew through the sails. They walked over and saw the bridge where a part of the wheel was missing, presumably from the meteors. Pokros walked down one entrance towards the engine room while the others continued forward towards the captains cabin.

Suddenly from behind them they heard a death rattling scream and they whipped around to see two figures in a jumbled mess from an open door. They ran over with their pistols out as the four large aliens grabbed the two figures and held them up.

"Alia!?" Jim said as before him was Alia and her father

"You realize this can be considered mutiny!?" Silver stated angrily with his gun against the fat alien's chest.

"Please sir it was all Alia's fault! She threw me onto this skiff saying you were all going to die anyways."

Alia gave her father a glance of hate

"An you expect me te balieve a little girl like that could throw somun like you onto a skiff?" Silver stated as the grey alien began to sweat, "We'll deal wit you two when we get back to the ship."

The larger aliens tied up Alia and her father and carried the ropes with them. While her father started to cry uncontrollably Alia walked beside Jim.

"Please don't allow him to do this!" Alia pleaded

"He's the captain, there's nothing I can do." Jim stated hesitingly

"Please at least try to save my father!" Alia pleaded more desperately

"Your 'father' just tried to save his own skin by pinning this on you and you want to save him?" Jim said annoyed

"He's my father!" She said as if that was the proper response

"Well he sure doesn't act like it!" Jim stated

"Please there must be something you can do!?"

"You took it out of my hands." Jim said sadly

Alia stepped back as a small tear formed and fell down her cheek, "Father was right about you. Just doing your job! You don't really care about any of us, just your position. Well I hope you choke on it!" She said with contempt.

Jim opened his mouth to say something but decided against it as Alia fell back in line with her father. They approached the captains cabin as the lights shot on and the ship made a loud hum.

"Looks like Pokros fixed the power!" Silver said as they entered a fully lit cabin

Inside were all the furnishings of a small home definitely the cabin of a wealthy captain. In the center was an old holo deck used for making a log or receiving transmissions. These older ones released a dust suspension that allowed the projection to be displayed.

At the center of the screen a cloud of dust was released and there stood Captain Amadeus as the old radio system crackled on and his voice came to be heard.

"In hopes that someone may someday find it and forever stop their quest. I have found a small wormhole that leads to an as of yet unexplored sector of space. My crew and I will never be able to make it through this field on a ship this size so I must leave them. It kills me to do as such, each of them so promising but for such a discovery there can only be sacrifices. I go now to the Daeus Cluster, alone I am sorry to my officers and crew if you should find a way meet me for the discovery of a lifetime. Should you receive this message and be not a member of my crew know this, You will not survive! Stop this quest and go home The fountain has many dangers... rock... mindless... spark of life..." The transmission began to fade as a scratchy voice came over the speakers

"Hello... hello... my name is Theseus," At this Jim stared intently on the screen but nothing could be seen, "I left my family on a distant planet to come and look for the fountain, I didn't heed Amadeus' warning and now I am suffering his fate, beware the spark of life. if you find this please return it to my family they are... on... it must get... let them know..." and then the transmission cut out entirely

"What was that?" Jim asked Silver

"We weren't the first to discover this boat." Silver said quietly and looked around he saw something golden on the floor, he bent down and picked it up looked at it for a second then looked at Jim and put the golden object in his pocket and smiled, "who says there ain't still treasure to be found!"

Suddenly there was a loud explosion on the outside. They ran out and looked towards the Donovan and each let out a gasp.

Thanks for reading folks I hope you noticed the large hint I put in here for the inquisitive minds. I like to thank those that are providing me with feedback as it helps to enhance the story. Keep me updated as to what you think. Thanks Ultima S. Next, Daeus Cluster.


	7. Chapter 7

Silver and the crew looked up to see an asteroid tear a chunk from the Donovan as an array of phaser fire exploded on the surface of Thados' ring.

"That's impossible how did they find us?!" Jim yelled running to the side to get a better view.

"Well it looks like your hiding place wasn't as good as you thought Alia said with a glower towards Jim. Jim looked back angrily but then noticed a plasma cannon on the deck and ran over to it.

"What are ya doin' ya can't fire through this ring wi'that!" Silver yelled

"We don't need to get through the ring we just need to get out of the way!" Jim shouted as he aimed the cannon at the large asteroid and fired. It hit the asteroid dead center and caused the giant rock to split releasing the anchors that held the Donovan and the Candice which quickly lost momentum and drifted closer to the fast flying rocks behind the two ships.

"Hurry we need to rescue everyone we can!" Jim yelled when suddenly there was a loud whizzing noise that came through the artificial air. They turned and watched the tracer signal from a depth charge as it fell through the outer most layer of the ring and right onto the center of the Donovan. Each member of the crew on the Candice rushed to the side just as the ring lit up in an orange blaze.

The blast was so powerful that the entire section of Thados' ring blew right out as the gravity pulled the objects closer and closer to the deadly planet.

"We Need to get out a here!" Silver called running for the wheel as the gravitational pull of Thados started to drag the Candice faster and faster downward.

Silver pulled at the engine lever but there was only a faint buzzing that could be heard. "Uh-Oh!" he said which was promptly and excitedly reiterated by morph, "Jimbo we've got a problem here!"

"For heaven's sake there's been nothing but problems since we left on this stupid voyage!" Jim yelled and ran down the steps to the engine room. The hallways were dark and cluttered which caused Jim to have to move slower every once and a while there would be a light that flickered semi-lighting up the way as he moved down the corridor alone.

He found the manual control panel to the engines and opened it wide to see that each and every strand had been severed.

"PERFECT!" He shouted slamming his fist on the side of the wall and he quickly started to re-piece the wires. As he got several of the wires together he heard a strange clanging elsewhere in the empty halls. He finished connecting the wires and could hear the sputter of the solar engines as they started to turn. He wandered slowly down the corridor and turned the corner to see Pokros opening a panel on the side of the ship.

Jim hid slightly as he watched a metallic hand come from under the overlong coat it looked very similar to the one Silver had. He watched as the metallic hand grabbed a bunch of wires and pulled them taught and then, to Jim's surprise, a long blistered claw came out and snipped the wires clean just like the one's Jim had come across earlier.

_Pokros is Sabotaging us!_ Jim said to himself and ran up the corridor. He tripped over some of the debris in the way which caused a sickening echo to reverberate down the halls. He quickly took shelter in a small entryway as he heard the odd, clicking, footsteps of Mr. Pokros as he turned the corner down the hall. Jim could see the red beam of his scanner go down the hallway as he crowded to the side. Pokros slowly walked down the hall and Jim could hear him click and whirr as the servos moved his eye in one direction or other.

Jim pulled himself tighter into the corner as the footsteps grew closer. Jim could see the shadow cast by a small light from the other side of the corridor as Pokros came closer. He suddenly saw the shadow of Pokros look to the side then disappear to a shadow on the side. Jim dared not turn but the whirring and clicking stopped and there was definite need out on the deck so Jim slowly started to peer around the corner unaware that directly above him a set of golden eyes was looking in his direction.

Suddenly the ship turned right on the side and Pokros fell from the ceiling onto the side of the ship as the debris from the hallway slammed against him. Jim just barely dodged a huge canister as it flung it's way down the hall.

"Grab Hold!" Came a shout from above and Jim looked to see Silver standing at the entry way with a rope that was tied to the mast and rigged through a pulley system on his arm Jim grabbed hold and was quickly lifted on deck where everyone was going everywhere.

The ship was heading towards the surface of Thados with alarming speed and the Candice was at the last edge of the ring before the gravitational pull was too powerful for anything to escape.

"SILVER!" Jim yelled, "POKROS HAS BEEN TRYING TO RUIN US!"

"DON'T BE DAFT HE'D DIE TOO IF ANYTHIN' WERE TO HAPPEN TO US!" Silver shouted back

Suddenly Alia's father flew past Jim and rammed into the lip of wood where the cannons were mounted. He cried out in pain but as he was still tied he couldn't do anything. Jim looked up and saw Alia fall and enter the same trail right towards her downed father. Jim quickly reached out his arm and caught her right around the waist. It almost ripped his arm off but he managed to keep hold of her.

"WE'RE LOST JIM!" Silver yelled as the hull of the Candice started to grow red with the entrance to the atmosphere.

Jim looked down, he knew that Silver was right there was no way to get out of this the gravitational pull of Thados made him feel like a thousand pounds and made Alia feel unbearably heavy. There was no escape so Jim closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable to happen.

"Sir!" The voice of a lesser officer yelled over the bridge to the commissioner, "The Donovan sustained a direct hit with a depth charge though the interference of the ring makes it impossible to scan and check for survivors."

"And how could there be any survivors?" Commissioner Hanz asked placidly

"Well... I... uh... sir!?" The officer started to stutter but then one of the other officers chimed in, "Commissioner there seems to be a small vessel that has been sucked into the pull of Thados from the blast. It's small and old but our readings show faint signs of life still on board!"

"It is true what the professor said, this boy is very resourceful." Commissioner Hanz smiled, "Good I never did like an easy chase!"

"Sir that pull is too powerful for anyone to survive there is no way they could have made it!" Came the worried officer's voice

"Good!... Then you won't mind proving it."

"What!?"

"You heard me officer we never abandon a mission until there's a body and besides I promised the widow Hawkins to bring her son back to Montressor." He turned to the officer, "You wouldn't want to make me a liar now would you?"

The officer gulped, "B-b-b-but sir!"

"Hmm it's too bad that your family will have to endure a traitor's burial." Commissioner Hanz said without turning around.

"B-b-b-but... yes sir!" The officer stopped objecting

"Good now let's bring her down to Thados!"

Thanks everyone for reading I was hoping to get to the Daeus cluster but I unfortunately did not get as far as I wanted in this chapter. I am sorry that it took so long to write but I have had to work 2 jobs for a combined total of 20 hours a day for the last 2 months to get ahead in my bills so I have not had time nor energy nor health to be able to write. Now I am back down to 1 job so I should have more time to write. I won't be writing steadily as I am learning animation so I can work for Disney so my time will be dispersed between writing and animating. The title for this chapter was The Fall but the next chapter will be the Daeus Cluster Ultima S.


	8. Chapter 8

It got hard to breath for a little bit and Jim felt the burning sensation of the acidic winds on his face as the Candice fell rapidly through the upper atmosphere. Suddenly all sensation stopped and Jim felt as light as a feather as he could feel the old wooden boards slip away from under him.

_So this is Death_! He thought to himself when suddenly he slammed hard against the wooden planks again.

Jim opened his eyes face down looking straight through a small crack on the deck of the Candice as he saw Pokros slowly push some of the debris off of himself and look around. Jim turned to the side to see Alia struggling against the vice-like grip he'd had on her.

"If you wouldn't mind I'd like to breathe now!" She said in a strained tone and Jim immediately released her and was pulled up straight by Silver.

"Would ya look a'that!" Silver said and Jim turned to se a magnificent sight. Somehow the ship had stabilized an orbit around a huge black hole. It was like looking into an eclipse as the outer ring shone with light that had been trapped on the event horizon and the swirling gasses fed into the hole with a stunning array of colors. A rock flew past them back out into the acidic cloud that surrounded the marvel almost hitting one of the larger aliens as it passed.

"I've never seen anytin like it in all my days!" Silver said with his mouth barely closed.

"Wow! now that's the Thados I remember!" Ben said pulling himself up from the ground and dusting himself off.

"What do you mean?" Jim asked turning slowly away from the sight.

"Well ya see Jimmy back when Flint was around Thados was a lot larger and had less of these pesky clouds surrounding it so you could see right into the glowing center." Ben said with a smile

"Don't be daft you stupid thing nothin' can escape a black hole not even light so there couldn't a been a 'glowin center'." Silver said annoyed

"And besides that there is no way a black hole could have devolved so quickly." Jim said dodging a volley of rocks as they whizzed past his head into the mists behind the ship.

"Really because I'm pretty sure there was a glowing center." Ben shrugged, "But then again what do I know back then we couldn't get this close to a black hole anyways just show's ya how times change right Jimmy!?" Ben smiled but Jim ignored him thinking on what was just said.

"Well we best enjoy da view because we ain't goin nowhere's in dis ol' piece a tin." Silver said kicking the side of the ship.

"If that's the case can you please untie us?" Alia said kneeling next to her father who was unable to pull himself up

"NO!" Silver said with surprising finality, "You's two are mutineers and as such you will be confined to the Brig!"

"But Silver we're..." Jim started to say but was immediately cut off

"An Anyone caught helpin em will share their fate!" He said looking at each member individually and resting particularly on Jim.

"Come on." Haversham said quietly almost as if he felt sorry for the two and as Alia was being carried under the deck she looked back at Jim who just looked down at the deck not moving.

Silver watched their reactions, "I'm sorry Jim but as a captain sometimes ya need to make a hard decision an stick wit it no matter what comes."

"Yeah well maybe I don't want to be a captain then!" Jim said and turned to the side

"Now I know ya fancied 'er..." Silver started to say

"Pfft!... What no! It's my job to look after the crew right? I never 'fancied' her" Jim said imitating Silver's voice.

"Jim I..." Silver said putting his hand on Jim's shoulder

Jim waived away the hand and turned to go down the hold, "I'd... better see if I can fix the engines." Jim said as he disappeared into the dark hold below

Morph chirped as he disappeared looking at Silver who just turned towards the wheel.

Down below Jim couldn't stop thinking of the hurt in Alia's eyes as she was carried down to the brig. _Why do I even care!?_ He asked himself as he started piecing together some of the severed wires. The light's flickered on and suddenly Jim found himself in the center of a strange shadow. He whipped around only to be face to face with a set of golden eyes.

"You wouldn't have happened to know who was down here earlier would you Mr. Hawkins?" Pokros said in a sinister tone.

Jim acted relaxed, "No. Why? Were you doing something you weren't supposed to? _Mr. Pokros." _

Jim found himself pinned against the wall by a mechanical arm extruding from under the long cloak that hid most of Pokro's body.

"Now listen to me, _cabin boy,_ if I find out that you were the one sneaking around I'll..."

Suddenly one of the larger aliens came around the corner, "Sir Hawkins! Is there a problem?" the alien asked with a pistol aimed right at Pokros.

Pokros slowly put Jim down and backed away slightly.

Jim glowered at Pokros for a moment but then turned to the Alien, "No, Mr. _Pokros_ was just leaving." Jim said with contempt.

"Jim come here!" Silver called from the wheel. Jim and Pokros shared a final look then Jim went up the stairs to the wheel.

"Look a'this!" Silver said pulling out his spy glass.

Jim looked through to see the Brig commanded by Commissioner Hanz on the exact opposite side of the black hole in the same orbit.

"I don't believe it!" Jim said

"Sir should we fire on them!?" Asked one of the aliens at the command center

"What's the Point!" A human officer yelled out, "There's no way to escape from here! Even if they are destroyed it's only a matter of time till we follow!"

"Officers throw this mutineer into the Brig and await psychiatric evaluation." The commissioner said as two hulking aliens grabbed the arms of officer., "What is your name traitor?"

"Gabriel Mandela and I'm no traitor, You are!" He said spitting at the Commissioner, "He's led us all to our deaths! Can't you see that?! I hope your bruised pride is worth the deaths of hundreds!" Gabriel yelled as he was carted off to the brig.

"You may fire when ready!" The Commissioner stated

Jim watched as several balls of plasma were aimed right at the ship but as soon as they passed in front of the black hole they disappeared.

"Hah! They can' fire past the hole! Boy's we're spared!" Silver yelled when suddenly a huge array of rocks slammed against the hull of the ship. "WHAT!" Silver yelled looking over the side. Suddenly he noticed the Brig of Commissioner Hanz had sustained just as violent a battering and they definitely weren't coming from the outer ring. "Sometin mighty fishy bout this here black hole!" Silver called to Jim who's eyes lit up.

"That's because it's not a black hole!" Jim said running to the side

"What'd ya mean it's not a black hole! I've been spacin for more day's then you've been alive I think I'd know what a black hole is!" Silver said in contempt.

"No don't you see this is the wormhole! The one Amadeus found! No wonder he didn't want his crew to follow. Don't you see it all makes sense, the glowing center, the short life it all makes sense!" Suddenly the Commissioner's brig fired another volley of shots that caused large rocks to appear everywhere and pelt both ships with the debris.

"But if this is a wormhole all of that gunfire will cause it to destabalize an..." Silver started then realized what he was saying. He ran to the captain's room and grabbed the radio, "STOP YOUR FIRIN' YOU'LL KILL US ALL!"

Over the intercom squelched a voice, "This is the Intrepid please clarify last transmission!"

"Don't ya get it all yer fire is destroyin the hole if you don't stop we'll all be caught in the blow not ta mention this whole system!" Silver called in frantically. There was silence for a time, "Do ya understand, we'll all die!"

A cold and measured voice came over the intercom, "We are already dead!" and suddenly the radio went dead.

"Hello..! HELLO!... Blast it all!" Silver yelled as underneath the captains quarters a cloaked figure walks away from some freshly cut communications wires.

"Prepare the depth charge!" Commissioner Hanz said turning from the radio

Everyone in the hub looked at each other. Commissioner Hanz slowly walked to the port view, "A full Mutiny it is then?" He said not turning around.

"I'm sorry sir I can't allow you to continue to endanger this whole crew for your grudge. We should have stopped it sooner." Came an alien with a similar structure to the Commissioner.

"Very well." The commissioner said and then turned quickly and hit a small button on the side panel and the whole ship watched in horror as the tracer for the depth charge entered the event horizon.

Jim and Silver watched the charge disappear and waited as a huge explosion slammed the sides of both ships. The wormhole event horizon wobbled and the acidic clouds stopped flowing to the center as a whirlpool of energies caused the ships to spin faster and faster around a narrowing hole.

Everyone felt a strange sensation as though they were being stretched from the very basic structure of their atoms out over infinity as they disappeared into the wormhole.

The last thing Jim remembered was seeing blackness littered with white dots, "The Daeus system! Finally I'm here!" as his world went black

Thanks everyone for reading I hope that all is going well in my reader's lives, it's awful hard to tell seeing as I never receive any comments for my work. Anyways I digress. Things are going well in my life I've recently taken up computer animation and am actually doing very well (or so I believe) it is my dream to work for Disney someday so hopefully this will be my ticket there. I do thank everyone who has liked or commented or followed all my stories within these last few weeks. Hopefully I'm keeping everyone guessing but not for long next chapter will answer one of your largest questions. Ultima S. Next, "Why?"


	9. Chapter 9

"Jim... Jim... You need to get up... Jim" Came an echoing voice in Jim's mind. Jim slowly opened his eyes where the world was a blend of smoke-like colors and the ground was soft. He looked upwards slowly as a blast of wind caused his hair to flail wildly. He saw a shadowy silhouette of a man holding out his hand towards him, Jim knew exactly who it was.

"I didn't think I'd find you..." Jim said slowly reaching up

"You haven't yet!" Came the voice and suddenly the world solidified as a dried cracked and wooden tree lay before Jim.

He looked around to see he was on a dark desert-like planet where the atmosphere was so thin the stars could be seen as good as though they were on a ship. A sour wind howled through the area kicking up sand left and right. He saw that his white cadet uniform was torn at the shoulder and a large gash came around his shin. He must have lost a lot of blood as the sand from where he was laying was tinted with a reddish color.

Jim grabbed his broken sleeve and tied it around his leg and stood up a little dizzy from the effort. He looked around but there was an eerie light that only seemed to illuminate a couple miles before fading into complete darkness. In the darkness came a bloodcurdling roar that was unlike anything Jim had ever heard. _I need to find Silver and the others!_ Jim said to himself turning around.

Behind him lay a sickening sight as the remains of two ships lay in a mass of rubble and debris in a sinking pool of sand. Jim could see the vessel of the Peace Keepers surrounded with several men unburying any survivors Jim held his place until they gave up and walked out of the sink-hole.

Jim could hear the cries for help coming from what remained of the Candice. He looked around and saw the part of the ship that used to be the brig and Alia and her father were still trapped inside. He rushed down the side of the hole and could immediately feel the tug of the sand trying to pull him under but it was easy enough to fight against but anyone trapped would have no hope of getting out alive.

He rushed to the side of the brig where Alia looked up at him through the large crack in the side.

"Give me your hand!" Jim yelled reaching down into the pit

Alia struggled revealing that she was still bound by the cords that Silver had instructed them to bind the mutineers with.

"Give me a break!" Jim mumbled to himself and looked around frantically as the brig started to sink faster. He finally found a rope that was attached to a rigging which he hauled over to the crack in the ship and let down into the hold. "Grab on!" He yelled as the wind and the sand hit him hard on the side of the face.

Alia was about to grab hold as her father pushed her aside with his elephant like trunk and grabbed hold of the rope. Alia was flung to the side where her head bashed against the metal bars that held her in the room and she fell with a thud onto the soft sand and immediately began to sink.

Jim pulled hard at the rope and soon the alien's trunk grabbed hold of the side of the ship and pulled himself up and out.

"What! Where's Alia!?" Jim yelled not having seen what had taken place.

"Who care's I'm gettin out a here!" The alien yelled fumbling up the side of the sink-hole. Jim looked into the hole to see Alia almost halfway covered with sand. Jim immediately jumped into the hole and unburied Alia then grabbed hold of her and started to climb the rope. Slowly and painfully their ascent up the rope took alot more energy than Jim had expected.

Finally he was able to pull himself up the side of the ship as part of it sank below the sand. He struggled with the pain of his shin as well as the weight of Alia as he climbed the slope and finally made it to the top.

He lay her down gently next to the tree and as he put her down he saw blood on his hand from the back of her head. He reached up and grabbed the other arm of his Cadet uniform and ripped it off tying it snugly around her head before untying the ropes that held her hands and arms. Suddenly Jim heard another cry for help.

"Are you serious!" He said to himself and turned to the hole. There was no one at the Candice and the Intrepid had more than half sank in the sand as Jim scanned the ships to find out where the cry was coming from. Suddenly he saw an arm waiving from the hull of the Intrepid. "Oh Come on!" he said and ran down the side to the ship.

"HELP!" The man inside yelled

"Hold on!" Jim yelled back

"Who are you?" The man called from inside the hull

"I'm the guy who's trying to save you." Jim said looking around the wreckage to see anything he could use to break the side of the ship. He found a metal rod that bent when he tried to pry off the large plank of wood that separated this man from freedom. He looked around and saw part of a metal box sticking up out of the sand. He pulled it up and on the side was written "Warning Highly Explosive". Jim tore open the top to see hundreds of small circular disks. "Mines!" He smiled to himself, "You're gonna want to back away from the hole!" Jim yelled down as he set an array of mines around the quickly sinking hull.

A loud explosion signaled success as a tall human exited the hold. Both of them climbed up the side of the sink-hole and finally rested, breathless, next to the withered tree.

After a moment the man finally spoke up, "Thank you boy. I owe you my life!" He said holding out his hand, "Gabriel, Gabriel Mandela at your service!"

Jim took the man's hand, "James Hawkins." Jim said simply suddenly finding a gun in his face

"You... You're the one we were meant to capture!" Gabriel said holding firm on the grip of the gun

"I just saved your life!" Jim said backing away

"Traitors get no special treatment!" Gabriel said looking Jim straight in the eye.

Suddenly Gabriel's eyes roled up into his head and he fell forward and there stood Silver with a small club-like attachment on his mechanical arm.

"It's a good thing I came when I did!" He said as Morph poked up from behind his back and repeated "Good thing, good thing, good thing!" in increasing enthusiasm.

"SILVER!" Jim said running up and giving him a hug.

"No what say we stop this man from followin us." Silver said turning his arm to a blunderbus.

"NO!" Jim yelled pushing his arm aside, "I don't know why but," Jim said turning to the downed man, "I feel we may need him."

Silver hesitated for a second then shrugged his shoulders and turned his arm back to a hand and turned to face Alia. "We need ta get somwhere safe Jim or this one might not make it." He said and put her over his shoulder and then grabbed Gabriel and put him over his other shoulder.

They ran out into the darkened sands as the sounds of growls and howling filled the very edge of their sight they dared not stop. After what seemed like hours in a dizzying array of wind and sand they finally found a small cave and climbed inside. There was a small stream of water that collected in a small dish-like crevice and in the center was a fire pit.

"Looks like someun's found this place before!" Silver said taking out his gun and firing into the center of the pit. There was a small explosion as the fire lit the cave brightly and Silver and Jim gasped as bones aligned the walls.

As their hearts stopped palpitating they went over to the bones. Each one was sitting down with their heads relaxed against the wall as though they had been asleep. It was obvious they were of many different breeds of aliens however their clothing was the same.

"Each of em was from the same ship." Silver said inspecting a four-eyed carcass.

"Not just any ship!" Jim said as he pulled out a portable logging device and on the back was engraved the symbol and name, "The Candice".

"Well it looks like ol' Amadeus' men found a way ta get here!" Silver said

That night they leaned against the walls having just thrown twenty piles of bones out into the night they were exhausted from the days efforts.

"Silver," Jim said quietly, "I'm sorry... you know about the ship."

Silvers face took on a sad appearance, "There was a lot a hope wi'that ship." Silver said kind of sad

"Where did you get it?" Jim inquired

"Well I never told ya I gave ya all me loot now did I?" he smiled, "Each piece was worth it's weight in gold and then some!" Silver laughed a little, "I had always dreamed of ownin a fully rigged ship an the Donovan was just right. I went around fer monts after I acquired it lookin' fer a crew who was loyal an' upstandin'. We had great fun Jim, monts and weeks out among the stars answerin' ta nobody. I wish ya could'a been there. After a while I got tired, no real adventure no dream ta chase anymore. One day I heard about Flint lookin' for the Fountain a Life an I decided that was my new dream. I knew where ta find the ol' key but you were the only one who could open it. It made me think back to the days when we was spacin'. It'd have been just the two of us and a whole ship ta command chasin' down a treasure but now that dream is lost." Silver said clenching his mechanical fist.

"How did you get that?" Jim asked looking at the mechanical side of Silver

"When I sailed with Billy Bones as my captain we was obsessed with findin' Treasure Planet. We finally found Flint's key on a ship near the space-port. We were so ready to get our hands on that treasure we stole the key and tried ta escape. Just out inta space we was when a police cruiser fired and blew a hole in tha side a tha ship. I got trapped. There's not a feelin' like it in tha universe when yar blood starts ta boil and you think it is the end." Silver said looking at his arm once again

"What happened?" Jim asked

"Ol' Billy Bone's pulled me in right quick an' took me to a place that did this ta me. Afterwards I went a little crazy fer the treasure an forgot all what ol' Bone's done fer me."

The fire crackled slightly as Silver finished his tale and the sound of Gabriel groaning to the side made the two wary of all of the noises that surrounded them.

"An what about you Jim? Why did you ever decide ta stay wit me even after I kidnapped ya?" Silver asked turning slightly to Jim.

"I had a promise to keep, I had forgotten about it for a long time but when I awoke on the ship I remembered it all..."

(Flashback to Jim standing on the dock looking out as his father drifted away on a skiff)

Jim slowly walked back in to his mother who hadn't stopped crying. He went over to her and hugged her tightly and she returned his embrace.

"Mom..." He said as his voice cracked slightly with emotion, "Where is Dad going?" He asked

"Your father..." She said between tears, "your father is looking for a myth, trying to find a fountain that doesn't exist." She said pulling her son closer.

"When is he going to come back?" Young James asked

"I don't know... I just don't know."

"Mom," Jim said pulling slightly away from his mother, "I'm gonna find him someday and bring him back!" His mother held him close, "I promise!"

Thanks for reading everyone I hope that all is going well in your lives and that this story is keeping your interest. So now you finally know why Jim stayed with Silver but believe me there is still a lot of story to go around. Just in case none of you read my profile page I'll tell you that I write everything as I go I don't truly know what's going to happen until it's out on paper so to ask me what's going to happen is quite useless as I have no idea until it's written. Anyways there is still a lot to go so please continue reading and leave me feedback, it's hard for me to tell how well I'm writing when no one leaves me feedback. Thanks again, Ultima S. Next, "A planet deserted?"


	10. Chapter 10

"His FATHER!?" Dr Doppler said in a frantic state moving from one side of the Montressor Inn to the other, "Why didn't you tell me this sooner, I... I..."

"You what, Delbert?" Sarah said calmly not paying attention to the frantic canine, "I'm sure that nothing you could have said would have stopped him." She said looking at the holo of Jim from the locket.

"Well... no, but I could have gone with him at least!" Delbert said in a consoling tone

"No!" Sarah said emphatically, "Jim has made his choice, one that will probably ruin his life for good but I know for a fact that he would never want you to share in that burden."

Delbert looked at Sarah who's lip started to quiver a little before she slumped down into the booth again and looked almost tearfully at the holo. He walked over and put his hand on her shoulder and this seemed to trigger her tears for which she buried her face in her hands.

"Sarah, I know this is difficult but Jim is resourceful and very intelligent, without a doubt he'll be back and soon." Delbert said consolingly and then went to the rack where he'd hung his coat. As he put it on he heard some of the people from outside the inn sound astonished.

Delbert rushed outside where a strong wind had caught hold of his coat and caused it to flail in the wind. He looked up to the sky where a particularly large star flashed brightly and the atmosphere of Montressor lit up like a battlefield. Delbert gasped, "Thados!" He said knowing that the entire system must have blown up not hours ago. The same system where he'd sent Jim. The solar wind from the explosion had traveled at around the same speed as the light from the same system which caused a spectacular light show in the upper atmosphere.

Delbert turned around to see Sarah nearly faint by the door. He rushed over and caught her, "Did I hear you say Thados?" Sarah asked almost white, "That's where Jim went wasn't it?"

Delbert didn't answer which caused Sarah's legs to give out as she fell to the ground. Delbert supported her on one arm and brought her in and placed her on her bed. She rolled over to the side of her pillow that was soon drenched with tears as she silently cried over the apparent death of her son.

Delbert went over to the phone and dialed his home. Soon Amelia was there with their children which were tucked into tiny beds in a room that Sarah had set aside specifically for Amelia and Delbert should they ever want to stay at the inn.

"I'm sorry my love, it's just I can't imagine leaving her alone at this time, I... I..." Delbert started to say but Amelia put her hand gently to the side of his face

"It's fine dear I agree." Amelia said and turned and looked in on Sarah.

She was fast asleep as the Holo of her son kept playing over and over again. Amelia entered the room and shut the locket and placed it by the side of Sarah's bed. She left and closed the door quietly behind them.

"There must be something we can do." Delbert said as he and his wife sat in the booth of the now empty dining room. Only a small overhead chandelier gave a faint glow to the otherwise darkened room.

"What did you have in mind?" Amelia said placing her chin on her clenched fingers.

Delbert wagged his finger for a moment but then closed it and pulled it into himself with a sigh, "I don't know if only there was a way of showing her that her son had survived I think that would be the only way." Delbert said looking towards the darkened doorway that led to Sarah's room.

Amelia thought on it for a second looking out the window and then suddenly she got a smile on her face, "Delbert," She said turning to her husband, "I've just got the most wonderful idea."

The next morning Sarah woke up with her eyes very sore and very red. She found herself questioning her will to live as she readied herself for the day and slowly walked downstairs.

She entered the dining room where the morning sun cast an orange glow along the interior of the room lighting all of the tables and floors where Jim had once worked and played. As the haunting images of what was started to cause her to fall again suddenly the door to the inn burst open.

There was Delbert with all sorts of luggage and tools and Amelia entered in behind him dressed in her uniform.

"Now are you sure we got everything?" Delbert asked looking at the luggage

"Yes doctor!" Amelia said in a dry tone

"Well I mean we are going to be gone for who knows and what if..." Delbert started at which Amelia cast a dagger glance to him, "Oh, right." He said and then looked at the stairs to see Sarah standing there in bewilderment. "SARAH! Oh, how wonderful, we were worried we'd have to wake you." Delbert said excitedly tripping over some of his luggage, "And I mean after last night..." He started

"DOCTOR!" Amelia shouted at him

"Oh, sorry, sorry." He said and then turned to Sarah and straightened himself up.

Sarah looked almost horrified at all the stuff they had brought in, "_What... Is... This!?"_ she asked gesturing to the stuff on the ground.

"What? This?" Delbert said inclining towards the scattered belongings on the floor, "Well that is... hard to explain." He said quickly

"Listen I'm grateful to you two but I'm fine I can take care of myself." Sarah said believing to know their intentions

"Well of course you can." Amelia said with a smile

"But babies are another matter altogether. Now which one of these had the bottles and which one had the pacifiers." Delbert said looking in the jumbled array of belongings.

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked

"Sarah Dr. Doppler and I believe that your son is still alive and we're ready to prove it!" Amelia said with strength

"How?" Sarah asked simply

"How?! HOW!?" Delbert said getting more and more excited, "Why by going on a voyage!"

"We are going to take the RLS Legacy out to Thados and find Jim but we can't take our children with us, not on such a dangerous trip," Amelia explained, "So we were hoping that you wouldn't mind watching them while we set out!"

Sarah's heart jumped then sank as did her expression, "Thank you both but I can't expect you to risk your lives for Jim for all we know...," Sarah said turning back to her room.

"Sarah," Delbert said quietly and stood at the base of the stairs, "If we weren't absolutely sure that Jim was alive we would never even offer."

Sarah looked hopefully at her two friends and then gave Delbert an affirmative hug, "I'll watch them as if they were my own!" Sarah said through happy tears

"Then there isn't a better place in the galaxy!" Amelia said

…...

The moaning of Gabriel had gotten worse but Alia wasn't making any noise whatsoever which was the cause for much alarm to Jim and Silver.

"I don' know if the lass is gonna pull through." Silver said

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Jim yelled causing silver to back away slightly

Gabriel woke up at the shout and slowly pulled himself upwards and immediately started to struggle against his bonds.

"Let me go!" He said through clenched teeth

"You mus' be takin ol Silver to be a fool." Silver said putting his face in the stern face of the officer, "There ain't a way under the bonnie sky I'd let you loose, not after what ya did ta my first mate."

"Your 'First Mate' is a traitor to Montressor." Gabriel said emphatically

"An ya really want ta balieve that don't ya?" Silver said walking around to the side of the cave

"Silver, SILVER! I can't hear her breathing!" Jim said in a panic as Silver rushed over and listened

"I can help her!" Gabriel said looking at the disarray

Jim turned to him, "How?"

"I'm a medical officer I can help!" Gabriel repeated

"Don't listen to him Jimbo he'll run out and get Hanz faster than you can blink!" Silver said

"If you don't trust me she _will_ die and soon!" Gabriel said more enthusiastically

"How can we trust you?" Silver said getting right in his face

"The necessity of the circumstance is such that you don't have a choice!" the officer said

"Silver! I'm losing her pulse!" Jim yelled almost in tears

Silver turned to Gabriel who held up his chin in a sneer.

Silver let out an angry grunt, "The sky weren't so bonnie today anyways." he said and with a quick chop cut the ropes clean off the man's arms. Silver went over next to Alia and pointed to her, "Now come give us a hand!"

Gabriel got up and rubbed his wrists slowly looking to the three on the side of the cave then to the door of the cave. Silver stood straight seeing the look in his eye. Before Silver could do anything Gabriel ran out the door.

"Aww, nooo ya don..." Silver started but Jim stopped him

"Silver we need to do something!" Jim said as Alia's color turned pale.

"Jim..." Silver said with a sad demeanor, "I don' see..."

Suddenly Gabriel rushed into the center of them pushing Jim on his side, "Out of the way unless your going to help!" He commanded handing Jim some of the torn up uniforms from the skeletons they'd thrown outside, "Get these two wet and bring them to me, and the other ones just leave in the water for now!"

Jim didn't hesitate as he went to the collecting dish for the water that was coming from deeper in the cave. He came back with two and Gabriel ripped off the sweater revealing an A style shirt underneath on either side of which he placed the wet cloths.

"Silver come here!" He yelled to silver who walked over. The doctor grabbed and pulled out some of the wires from Silver's leg.

Silver let out a cry of pain and was about to knock Gabriel out again before Jim stopped him. Gabriel took the wires and pulled them close together to see a spark jump from one end to the other.

"CLEAR!" He shouted and placed the ends up to the wet cloths.

Alia's body tensed causing her back to arch for a second. Gabriel repeated this twice more and suddenly Alia started to caugh. At this everyone let out a sigh and Gabriel dropped the charged cordes which Silver picked up and began fixing himself up.

"It's a good thing the cyborg was here or she never would have made it." Gabriel said turning her on her side to look at the place where she'd hit her head. "Get me those other rags." He said and Jim brought him the soaking wet cloths which Gabriel used to clean the blood that had pooled on the back of the head. He then reached down and grabbed a dry cloth and opened a small canteen of liquor he kept with him and soaked the cut before tying it with a dry cloth.

It had only been a few minutes but it seemed like hours before anyone could rest easily seeing Alia's face regain color and her breathing stabilize. They all leaned against the cave wall as the fire flickered its orange shadow.

"Listen..." Jim finally said, "thank you... for what you did."

"Please save your breath traitor, I did it because I took an oath to help when someone needed it. I most certainly didn't do it for you." Gabriel said not turning to see Jim look down in disappointment.

"What's the matter with you!?" Silver said angrily, "this boy's done nothin but help ya an all you can do is call him a traitor?"

"This boy...!" Gabriel started to say energetically

"THIS BOY PULLED YOU OUT OF A WRECK THAT YOU WERE GONNA SINK WIT, STOPPED ME FROM ENDEN YOUR DAYS AND IS THE ONLY REASON YOU AIN'T GOT CORDES DOWN YER ARMS!" Silver yelled at which Gabriel turned and looked silently at the fire.

Jim didn't react he just looked silently downward thinking on the words, "he's a traitor."

Thank you for reading everyone I hope that it was a good chapter and hopefully you can all enjoy the story so far. I do seem to be covering a lot of material quickly and the reason for this is that I want to try and keep it as movie-like as possible and if I drag out any segment too long it will deviate from a cinematic setting. If anyone would like me two I can add a few chapters on background or other information you want to know, (in a story like setting of course) but I don't see too many more chapters till we get to the finale maybe another 5-10. Once again please rate or comment or fav or whatever it takes only a minute. Thanks Ultima S. Next, "Unpleasant surprise."


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